C32 Selling

Ten days later, in a cave within Celestial Peak Valley, a young man sat cross-legged on a massive boulder, immersed in deep cultivation with his eyes closed. Above him, a vast Spirit Energy Vortex spun tirelessly, channeling streams of pure spirit energy into the young man's body. This energy nourished his meridians and bones, bolstering the qi vortex within him.

This young man was none other than Jiaang Lin, who had been exploring Celestial Peak Valley for over ten days. Throughout this time, Jiaang Lin had engaged in fierce battles with numerous Demonic Beasts, feverishly enhancing his strength and cultivation level. Just a few days prior, he had reached the pinnacle of Body Refining Level Nine.

After several days of intense training, he was on the cusp of a breakthrough. With this in mind, he had sought out this cave early on, determined to advance from the Body Refining Level Nine Peak straight to the Qi Gathering Stage.

"Sky Clear, Earth Bright, draw forth the Qi Vortex; the cosmos and all its laws converge into the True Pill." The resonant chants echoed in Jiaang Lin's mind, as solemn as a chorus of Myriad Buddha. As the chants continued, the qi vortex within him whirled with overwhelming Genuine Qi, which began to coalesce and merge into a single force. Within the vortex, a pill essence, no larger than a grain of rice, slowly emerged. Genuine Qi poured into this essence, steadily amplifying its size and purity.

Time passed, and eventually, the swirling qi vortexes ceased. All the Genuine Qi had fused into a pill essence the size of a thumb.

With a metallic ring, Jiaang Lin's eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing within. He focused on a stone within the cave and, with a wave of his palm, a blade of Genuine Qi sliced the three-meter-tall boulder cleanly in two. The cut was so smooth and even, it resembled the surface of a mirror. With Genuine Qi unleashed and his palm acting as a blade, he had indeed reached the Qi Gathering Stage.

"To think it took me over ten days to progress from Body Refining Level Eight to Qi Gathering Level One!" Jiaang Lin gazed at the boulder he had cleaved in twain, his expression devoid of triumph. Instead, he shook his head with a wry smile, his face etched with dissatisfaction.

In just ten days, Jiaang Lin had advanced from Body Refining Level Eight to Qi Gathering Level One.

His rate of cultivation was astonishingly quick, to the point where other cultivators would be utterly astounded upon hearing of it.

In the martial arts journey, as one's level increases, so does the difficulty of enhancing one's strength.

For an average expert at Body Refining Level Eight to reach Qi Gathering Level One, it would typically take at least two years. A cultivator with decent talent might need a year and a half. Even for a prodigious talent, a breakthrough to the Qi Gathering Stage would take no less than half a month!

Yet, Jiaang Lin, who had spent just over ten days to achieve this feat, still wasn't content. The genius disciples would be beside themselves if they knew.

"The Ink Heart Lotus and Unforgotten Fruit are in my possession, and I've secured a good number of Demonic Beast Crystal Cores. Selling them at the Myriad Medicine Pavilion should yield a handsome sum of silver. Plus, I can purchase the necessary spirit medicines for the Spirit Gathering Pill.

It's time to head back, craft the Spirit Gathering Pill, and see if I can make an early advance to Qi Gathering Level Two."

Rising to his feet, he approached the cave entrance and gazed out at the bright sky, murmuring to himself.

In an instant, he activated Flashing Shadow Step, darting through Celestial Peak Valley with incredible swiftness. With his new level of cultivation, his Movement Speed had increased exponentially, allowing him to cover a hundred meters in a single stride.

By mid-morning, Jiaang Lin had left Celestial Peak Valley and made his way back to Clear Water Town, heading directly for the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

Inside the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, Jiaang Lin approached a counter.

"Shopkeeper, could you appraise these Demonic Beast Crystal Cores and tell me how much they're worth?" he asked, presenting a bundle to the Old Shopkeeper behind the counter.

Upon hearing the request, the old shopkeeper was momentarily taken aback. He recognized Jiaang Lin as the so-called good-for-nothing of the Jiaang family. A sense of disdain welled up inside him. What kind of valuable goods could a worthless kid possibly have to offer?

"Well then, let's have a closer look, shall we?" the old shopkeeper said softly, adopting the air of a connoisseur.

He reached out to unwrap the package on the counter and was immediately greeted by dozens of Demonic Beast Crystal Cores, each the size of a chicken egg. The cores were a kaleidoscope of colors, each with a unique shape, and all radiated a potent spiritual aura.

"This... This is..." The old shopkeeper was visibly taken aback by the sight of the Demonic Beast Crystal Cores brimming with powerful energy.

His years of experience told him that each of these cores came from a Demonic Beast of at least Level Eight, if not Level Nine. What's more, among them, he spotted over ten cores from Spirit Beast Level Demonic Beasts! Spirit Beasts were fearsome creatures on par with those at the Qi Gathering Stage!

That Jiaang Lin, once deemed a nobody, had produced dozens of Demonic Beast Crystal Cores from Level Eight beasts and even Spirit Beasts was utterly astounding. How could the old shopkeeper not be shocked? He had initially sneered at the thought of Jiaang Lin selling anything of value, and now, in an instant, he had been proven embarrassingly wrong.

Even without considering the Spirit Beast Level cores, the Level Eight Demonic Beast Crystal Cores alone could fetch a thousand taels of silver each!

"Old Shopkeeper, what do you think? Can you give me a price?" Jiaang Lin asked with a smile.

Snapped out of his astonishment, the old shopkeeper looked at Jiaang Lin with newfound respect and reverence, all traces of his earlier contempt and disdain gone from his expression.

"These Demonic Beast Crystal Cores are of exceptional quality. Selling them all would certainly command a hefty sum of silver. Though I am the shopkeeper, I'm afraid I'm not authorized to negotiate a transaction of this magnitude," he admitted.

The Old Shopkeeper greeted him with a smile, his hands clasped in a respectful gesture.

"Then, I'll look elsewhere," Jiaang Lin stated.

"No, wait! Young man, while I'm not in a position to negotiate this deal, the Seventh Protector of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion is here in the shop. He's qualified to discuss this with you."

Upon seeing Jiaang Lin preparing to leave, the Old Shopkeeper's anxiety spiked, and he called out.

If his superiors learned that he had let such a lucrative deal slip through his fingers, he would be in deep trouble.

How could he not be worried?

"Fine, I'll wait here for him," Jiaang Lin responded.

"Great! Just a moment, please. I'll be right back!"

The Old Shopkeeper's face, lined with joy, hurried off towards the back of the shop to fetch the Seventh Protector, eager not to lose the deal.

Soon after, the Old Shopkeeper returned, accompanied by a middle-aged man.

Jiaang Lin recognized him; it was the Seventh Protector of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion, from whom he had previously purchased the Qi Replenishing Pill for a hefty sum.

"Young man, are you here to sell the Demonic Beast Crystal Core?" the Seventh Protector asked with a smile upon seeing Jiaang Lin.

"Yes, have a look and make me an offer," Jiaang Lin replied.

The Seventh Protector nodded, inspecting the numerous Demonic Beast Crystal Cores, his eyes betraying a flash of surprise.

"Where did you get all these from?" he inquired, looking at Jiaang Lin.

He was familiar with Jiaang Lin and knew him to be the notorious underachiever of the Jiaang family.

How could someone like him come into possession of so many high-quality Demonic Beast Crystal Cores?

"What, does the Myriad Medicine Pavilion need to verify the origins of goods before doing business?" Jiaang Lin asked.

"Don't take offense, young man. I was merely curious," the Seventh Protector replied.

"Let's set that aside for now. How about I offer you two hundred thousand taels of silver for these Demonic Beast Crystal Cores?"

"Three hundred thousand taels! Not a tael less!"

Jiaang Lin declared firmly.

Each of these Demonic Beast Crystal Cores shimmered with purity. The ten or so Spirit Beast Level Crystal Cores alone were worth two hundred thousand taels of silver, to say nothing of the numerous other Crystal Cores from beasts of Level Eight and even Level Nine.

Asking for three hundred thousand taels, Jiaang Lin's price was quite reasonable.

"Very well, three hundred thousand taels it is. I'll take them," the Seventh Protector agreed with a smile.

He knew the true value of these Crystal Cores far exceeded three hundred thousand taels, and Jiaang Lin's asking price was already a significant compromise.

With that, he instructed the Old Shopkeeper to bring out three hundred thousand taels in silver notes and handed them to Jiaang Lin.

"You live up to the reputation of the Seventh Protector of the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. I appreciate someone as straightforward as you!" Jiaang Lin said, accepting the thick stack of notes with a smile.

"By the way, does your Myriad Medicine Pavilion stock any of these spirit medicines?"

After some time, Jiaang Lin produced a list of the required spirit medicines for the Spirit Gathering Pill.

"We do!"

The Seventh Protector took the list and, after reviewing it, nodded with a smile.

"I'll need three sets of the spirit medicines listed here."

Jiaang Lin requested.

"Young man, these spirit medicines are quite expensive. You're asking for three sets; I'm concerned you might not have enough funds. However, considering how swiftly you've sold us the Demonic Beast Crystal Cores, I'm inclined to extend a courtesy. How does three sets for two hundred thousand taels sound?"

"That works for me."

Jiaang Lin nodded without further negotiation. Securing the spirit medicines for two hundred thousand taels, with a remaining one hundred thousand taels to spare, was indeed a bargain for him.